Pupils from Chieveley Primary School surrounded me in the stalls at a morning performance of Dick Whittington, showing that they need no lessons in shouting and singing.

Pantos at Newbury Corn Exchange supply many opportunities for audience participation always eagerly seized on by the youngsters.

Phil Willmott has written and directed all the ones I have seen, including last year’s Aladdin.

The forces at his disposal may not be large, but they are always well marshalled to give the maximum of festive fun.

In Dick Whittington, he made a virtue of necessity, for instance, in employing the versatile Oliver Tattersfield to play three brothers who are, respectively, the village bobby, the sea god Poseidon, and an eastern sultan called Campari.

Mr Willmott offered a slightly different take on the traditional story. For example we saw nothing of Alderman Warren, father of Dick’s beloved Alice.

Feisty Alice herself (Phoebe Lewis) owned the town shop this time, rather than her father, and was cheesed off when it appeared that Dick had robbed her.

Of course we knew that the lad – played in fine style by Christian James – had been framed by the odious and much-hissed King Atticus Ratticus (Oliver Broad).

Timely interventions by Fairy Fuschia (Lizzy Dive) saw that good triumphed in the end.

Laughter was supplied by Phil Sealey as Sarah the Cook and Dick’s feline sidekick Billy.

This smooth-talking dude was admirably played at the performance I saw by ensemble member Joey Warne, stepping in for an indisposed Matthew Grace.

Musical numbers (most adapted from well-known pop songs) were splendidly delivered under musical director Richard Baker.

Panto is now over for another year. Roll on next Christmas!

CHRISTOPHER GRAY 4/5